Private to Siobhan, Laina, Murderbot over the Sendjewel Network

[ohaiyo_isekai]

WARNING: frank discussion of IRL transphobia; the deep deep spoilers to the Wonders of Mundus series as a whole are likely.

To Siobhan, Laina:
I - suspect you two had a better idea than I did of who young Tsukuda was but I would speak to you both about the context.

To Murderbot:
I suspect you are more inclined to talk to me over the Sendjewel than in person. My name is, for the sake of argument, Hikaru Aozora; I knew you in the story as Rin. I'd like to talk with you about what I perceived of what happened if you'll allow me.

Comments

[terraboo]

[Laina watches from a couple steps away. She's never done much gardenwork at the Monastery, being more focused on the books.]

I haven't had the pleasure of stabbing her with my spear, no.

And... It felt like I saw less of that in the village. But I have heard of her yes.

[Thanks to Sio, she doesn't clarify yet.]

People like her are kinda pathetic, aren't they? Just pathetically weird.

[ohaiyo_isekai]

It is a venom for the soul, a poisonous wyrm that devours the brain, that there is no more to life than being a crab in buckets labeled “man and woman” trying to claw it’s way to the top - that no one can escape them, much less deserve to, even less that there is an ocean vast and deep beyond the buckets.

[He grits his teeth.]

Much like the worship of the nameless tyrant queen, it ends with nothing left but the hateful egregore, hungry for more souls to render empty and miserable.

[terraboo]

Yeah. It's... Sorry, I don't really have much useful to add.

Just glad no one like her is here. She seems... I don't think anyone's beyond salvation? But she pushes it for sure. And that's just from what I've heard.

And that was common in the UK at the time? That... Damn it. I shouldn't be surprised about shitty people, but it still hurts.

[ohaiyo_isekai]

Yes. Well.

I did not well like the reminder of who I was before I became who I am. I like even less that this is how you found out.

Imagine my finding out Siobhan’s secrets when the next story casts her as the princess of Planet Verdholtz fleeing the Baron’s battlecruiser in a tramp fuser, desperate for the protection of a psychic templar knight with dark skin, dense curly black hair, a force shield on her left arm and a starlance that ignites into the colors of the fucking sun at dawn, and you will understand my present outrage at the Librarians.

[This entire rant - for it was one - delivered in an even, deliberate, dry tone except where his anger starts to show through the cracks at the end.

He knows about Sio - Sigrid. And he knew Laina knew.]

[terraboo]

I... Yeah. I get it. A lot.

It strikes a lot of things that are to put it lightly not great. The loss of control of the situation...

The next time this happens, it could be me. Or Sio, yeah. Or any of the others. Our memories woven into a tale and laid bare for anyone who looks to see. Possibly without even realizing it until most of the way through.

[... Yeah, she didn't catch on that it was Hikaru until Sio told her at some point.]

[ohaiyo_isekai]

And speaking of her secrets.

We three, badly, need to meet in private to discuss what we know and need to know.

Things are stranger in Heaven, Earth and Mundus than either of us knew.

[terraboo]

Sio and I are sharing a room, so that seems the ideal place to lock up and talk up.

Because, yeah, we already have confirmation that we come from different dates on Mundus.

[ohaiyo_isekai]

It’s creeping close to Gratitide from our perspectives, for the least of it.

Oh, and. Thank you for being his friend when he needed one.




…you wanna see if I can still go skateboards?

[terraboo]

Just gotta find a board and a place to try it. If anything, wouldn't it be possible to do some new tricks with the wings?

[The answer, apparently, is Very Yes. Especially if it adds positivity to the experience of, uh, having a ton of your life laid bare without realizing that was what was happening until afterwards...]